In Sean Treacy Park in Carrick-on-Suir, deep in Tipperary hurling country but just a few pitch lengths from the Kilkenny border, some people reckon little Sophie O’Brien brought Tipperary good luck in 2010 and her recently arrived sister will do the same this year.
“Lily was born on July 5th, it’s a great sign,” her mother, Amy Harris, said yesterday in the housing estate that is among the most blue-and-gold bedecked in the county.
“The last time we [Tipperary] won it, my eldest daughter, Sophie, was born. She’s four now.”
The girls’ grandmother, Amy’s mother Ann-Marie Harris, explained the bunting: “We do it every year Tipp are in the final.”
But Kilkenny colours are never far away in this corner of Tipperary and one black-and-amber jersey is sported by Michael Hayden who’s proud to say he’s from Assumption Place in Kilkenny city.
“I’ve been here for about 12 years. My partner, Ella Ryan, is from here. I’ll watch it at home on Sunday. We were going to go up but you could be talking €500. It’s too expensive. No family tickets or anything are available.”
However, he said the atmosphere in the estate was “absolutely brilliant” with “much slagging and plenty of crack” anticipated on Sunday afternoon.
“At the end of the day, everyone will be on the road and come Sunday evening the whole place will be full.
Kilkenny, Tipp, they’ll all be here.”
His neighbour Seamus Harris ribs him about being “only a blow-in”, to which he replies: “I’ve been blown in for a fair long time by now.”
The community spirit is emphasised by the fact that on Sunday evening everyone will come together for music with band Moonlight Shadow booked to play on the mini-roundabout in the middle of the estate.
While Michael Hayden reckons his own Kilkenny will shade things – “they’ll bring on Shefflin for 20 minutes and that will be enough” – down the road Yvonne Norris was predicting a different outcome.
“It will be close but I give it to Tipp by three points. Tipp always come back, they never lie down for too long!
“I’ll watch it at home but I can’t celebrate if they win. I’m working at 5pm so it’ll be over just in time.”
She was impressed by Tipperary’s semi-final win over Cork: “A lot of people are saying it was a bad game but it wasn’t, Tipp didn’t let Cork hurl.”
Meanwhile, Ciara Kennedy says she’s from Waterford but has her son, two-year-old Brody Butler, boasting a Tipp hat – “his jersey is in the wash”.
Seamus Harris points out the famous hurlers who came from Sean Treacy Park in the past, such as Mick Roche and Tom Foley, with most togging out for the Carrick Davins club and a few for local rivals Carrick Swans.
It all remains friendly, however. “We’ll have a party on Sunday evening, win lose or draw, and it will be brilliant,” his wife, Ann-Marie, puts it.
